Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) recently launched South Coast Rail and the beginning of service on the new Fall River/New Bedford Commuter Rail Line.
The South Coast Rail Program extended the existing Middleborough Commuter Rail Line more than 17 miles on the New Bedford Main Line and nearly 12 miles on the Fall River Secondary Line to provide passenger rail service to and from downtown Boston to southeastern Massachusetts.
South Coast Rail will operate 15 trips on the Fall River section and 17 trips on the New Bedford section on weekdays, and 26 trips between South Station and East Taunton on the weekends. The final train leaving Boston departs right before midnight. The line also will offer connecting trains operating between each terminus point and East Taunton Station.
A celebratory event was held this week to correspond with the launch. Elected officials, municipal leaders, and local stakeholder groups boarded trains in Fall River and New Bedford and rode to East Taunton Station.
Attendees include Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng and Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt.
“It is with great pride that we deliver long-awaited train service to southeastern Massachusetts, making South Coast Rail a reality,” Eng said.